


Can I Ask You Your Name?

by staturescout



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Overwatch, Bodyswap, Drama & Romance, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-03-11 21:08:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,318
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13532583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/staturescout/pseuds/staturescout
Summary: "I wanted to tell you that wherever you are in the world, I’ll search for you. Your name is Genji. It’s fine, I’ll remember." (Kimi no Na Wa AU)





	1. Deadlock Gang

**Author's Note:**

> ABOUT THE SETTING:  
> \- I want the Overwatch cast to still have their original world's content such as Deadlock and Shimada Clan, but there are definitely some changes throughout the fic such as Sojiro not dying so soon and Hanzo NOT slaughtering Genji.  
> \- I like the idea that younger McCree was rougher than he appears to us now, so his character will be a bit crude. Same with Genji, he will be a lot more impish and carefree like many cocky, rich kids his age.  
> \- I ended up creating random original characters just to fill up space in McCree's and Genji's life. They do not have any real significance to this story other than helping Genji and McCree advance in their story.  
> \- Hanzo and Amelie are minor characters like the original characters, but I slapped their tags on because it somewhat ties in with the story, I suppose.  
> \- As of the start of the story, McCree is 24 years old and Genji is 20 years old.

_Jesse. Don't you remember me?_

Jesse woke with a jolt, despite how calmly he was dreaming. Or so he thought. When he tried to remember his dream, everything became hazy. Though irritating, Jesse shrugged it off; since dreams come and go every night, both good and bad. His bed creaked audibly as he sat up, stretching out his arms and back.

“Jesse, are you finally awake?” A voice called from behind his closed door.

“Yeah, give me a minute, will ya?”

Jesse let out a loud yawn as he stretched once more. The old alarm clock sitting on his equally as old nightstand told him it was almost noon. The Deadlock Gang did not have a real sleep schedule, which Jesse was thankful for, since it meant he could sleep in as long as he wanted. So long as he did what he was told when he’s awake, they would let him sleep all day if he could.

The shoddy doors that gave him a false sense of privacy had a broken lock on the doorknob, yet Winona granted him his privacy by staying behind the closed door.

“You can come in, ya know.” Jesse said, hopping out of bed to get ready for the day. The door creaked open, Winona peeking in through the crack of the door. Jesse chuckled at her reluctance to enter his room, grabbing a carelessly tossed jacket off the floor to wear for the day.

“The boss wants us to travel for one of our next missions.” She informed him as she shut the door behind her.

“We’re usually wanderin’, so—”

“It’s not...to another city or state.” Winona interrupted. “...We’re going to another country.”

Jesse’s tired brain had trouble processing his gang member’s words as he stared at her, mouth slightly agape. Winona can read his dumbfounded expression easily, fidgeting with her long hair. “I don’t know the exact details, but there are some mighty fine weapons in an Asian country that we may have a chance of getting our hands on.”

“Asia? We’re goin’ to Asia? For how long? And why us? We’re still bein’ looked at as rookies.” Jesse finally processed everything coherently in his brain, yet he was still in disbelief.

“Your official rank may still be a rookie, Jesse, but you’re a great shot. Not bad for someone who’s only twenty-two years old.” Winona complimented him with a wink. “And I’m not so bad myself, right?”

“Sure thing, pumpkin.” Jesse teased her, earning himself a playful punch to his arm.

Jesse didn’t bother taking a shower, since he’ll be needing to do that after today’s mission anyway. He put on whatever he found on the floor of his messy bedroom, trying to look at least a little proper for whatever the day was going to throw at him. Winona watched him, neither of them fazed by it. They’ve done it several times enough to be desensitized to each other’s half nakedness.

“Glad you’re normal again.” Winona broke the silence, her hands on her hips.

“What’s that?”

Winona leaned against the door, arms crossed. “You don’t remember what happened yesterday? You tried to flirt with me several times.”

The “yesterday” Jesse remembered was one long continuous dream that felt too real to be considered one. Within the dream, Jesse was in a Japanese setting, in a different gang than the Deadlock Gang. People kept trying to speak Japanese to him, and it surprised them when he spoke with an American accent. When he was dreaming, it really felt like it was a dream that lasted an entire day.

“I don’t remember much.” Was all Jesse could say in his own defense. Unfortunately, it was true. Not a single memory from yesterday was with Winona or the rest of the Deadlock Gang. It was all about the Japanese gang in his dreams. “Now that I think about it, all I remember from yesterday was my dream.”

Winona tilted her head in confusion. “A dream?”

Jesse took several minutes to think about the complex situation at hand. As much as he’d like to continue wondering why the hell he can’t remember a single thing from the day before, Jesse had more pressing matters that required his attention. Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, Jesse lead Winona out of his room and toward the main building they went to be handed a job for the day.

“Hey, Trev.” Winona greeted one of their usual mission buddies, who was standing beside older members of the gang as they drank and shared mission stories.

The quiet man nodded in their direction. “Oh. Jesse. Winona. The boss wanted me to tell you about your biggest mission yet.”

“We goin’ to Asia or somethin’ right?” Jesse asked.

Trevor pushed his glasses up to sit properly on his face, something Jesse thought was his way of trying to rise up the ranks by appearing smart and organized. He was sure the boss didn’t need such a person. Deadlock wasn’t the type of organization that was proper. If the boss wanted something done, he’d tell someone who was capable of handling it. Hell, he’d even relay the information through some of the more seasoned members, who were considered his go-to men. Jesse had to commend Trevor for his devotion to their...work.

“For some reason, he seems to trust you enough to help lead the operation in Japan. There are some new weapons surfacing there, and we’re taking a huge risk here to get them. Normally, we stay within the U.S. borders, but there’s always greener grass beyond them.” Trevor rambled on all while staring at a clipboard he may have gotten himself to look sophisticated.

“Unfortunately, we will be dealing with another gang’s territory...the Shimada Clan, based in Hanamura, but they practically operate most of Japan’s territory.”

“...Shimada?” Jesse parroted softly, the name striking him with a deja vu feeling. His gaze went to the floor, though he was not staring at anything in particular. Jesse was lost in his thoughts again, trying to figure out why that sounded so familiar.

“You haven’t heard of them?” Winona poked at Jesse’s cheek playfully. He batted her hand away quickly.

“You’d have to be a fool to not know who they are.” Trevor pushed his glasses up once again.

“I know who they are, ya damn prick.” He didn’t, but Jesse wasn’t going to let Trevor know that. “But that name sounds awful familiar...more than it should.”

“Jesse!” A loud voice boomed from across the room. Jesse jolted out of his thoughts, turning to face the person who shouted his name.

For one reason or another, the men in that area laughed when Jesse turned to face them. Winona and Trevor were not as amused as they were, but kept quiet. The man who called out to Jesse, Tony, was one of the best in the Deadlock Gang. He always had a small band of other members who followed him. They were not considered rivals or antagonists to Jesse, but they sure as hell can be bothersome when they’ve been drinking.

“Oh, so ya remember your name now?” Tony laughed, joined in by the members around him. “Can ya speak Japanese again?”

Jesse was about to make a snarky remark, but Trevor stopped him.

“I see now.” Trevor spoke only loud enough for Winona and Jesse to hear. They ignored Tony’s group’s laughter to focus on Trevor.

“You were very odd yesterday. You spoke with a Japanese accent. Sometimes you even spoke Japanese. You even mentioned a person named Hanzo who was supposed to help you train. I’d say that may be why you remember the name “Shimada” from somewhere.”

As if Trevor's words weren't confusing enough, Winona added to them. "You didn’t respond to your own name. The boss figured you were just delusional from sleeping all day."

Jesse was beyond disbelief. There were no real words within his somewhat limited vocabulary that he could muster up to explain the strange dream and “personality” everyone around him seemed to be witnessing. Japanese? Shimada? An accent? Jesse wasn't the best when it came to book smarts, there was no denying that. But he sure as hell wasn't dumb enough to forget his own name after sleeping for an allegedly long time. Perhaps the dream he had resulted in him sleepwalking. It had to have been the only explanation, given that he did dream about a Japanese gang life. The sound of the older members' laughter slowly faded into background noise.

“Ya mind runnin’ all that by me again?”


	2. Shimada Clan

_Who...are you?_

"Genji. You're finally awake." Hanzo's voice came from his opened door, though he was sure he locked it when he went to bed. It wasn't unlike Hanzo to burst in if he were given the chance, but it still frustrated Genji.

"Hah?" Genji's throat managed to let out some form of noise, his eyes still trying to blink itself awake.

"Get up. Father wants you to continue your practice from yesterday."

Without waiting for another word from Genji, Hanzo shut the door and took his leave. What training was he referring to? He hadn't practiced in the past few days.

Finally fully awake, Genji got up from his bed, taking a quick look at himself in his large wall mirror. Mismatched clothing and baggy, tired eyes aside, Genji felt ready to start his day. His hair was a mess, but it looked similar to the way he usually styled it. No one should be able to notice it. There was scribbling on his arm that he did not recall.

_Who are you? What are you?_

"What the hell is this...?" Genji muttered to himself. It was badly written in English, with one of his calligraphy brushes.

The shower he took washed most of it off, at least enough for him to ignore it. It must have been written at least a whole day ago with how clingy the ink was to his forearm. Even as he dressed, the arm guard he placed over the barely visible words made him think about the ominous question. _What_ are you? It was almost insulting. Genji pushed the thought aside and headed toward the training grounds he assumed his father would be at. Only Hanzo was there, practicing his archery.

"Why are you here?" Hanzo asked without turning to face him. His focus was only on the target in front of him. His older brother went overboard with the practice. The poor target’s bullseye had been split apart with the amount of arrows going directly to the same spot. Surely, Hanzo was a talented young man.

"Where did he want me to be?" Genji asked in a nonchalant voice.

"Did you forget how awful your training was yesterday?"

"I-" Genji paused to catch himself. Now that he really thought about it, he could not remember anything from the day before. The only memories that came to mind was his dream as an American gangster, which was actually cool. Of course, Genji was still in his own mind and soul, despite his body being a beefy American man. They referred to him as "Jesse", perhaps an American version of the name "Genji" that his mind conjured up.

"Ah, hey. Did you prank me and write on my arm?" Genji changed the subject, holding his covered arm up, as if Hanzo could see through the material of his arm guard.

Hanzo eventually turned to face his brother with the signature "Hanzo look", one of stern disappointment. "What do I have to gain from doing such a thing to you?"

Well, he wasn't wrong. Deep down, Genji hoped Hanzo did such a thing. When they were younger, Hanzo was...fun. Since puberty hit him, Hanzo had grown to become more like their father. It was good that Hanzo was more than willing to take over their clan after their father, at least Genji could have more freedom. Still, it was at the price of Hanzo's childhood, one Genji would always remember sharing with him fondly.

"Genji. Go practice again with father. If you're going to embarrass our clan by having such a frivolous lifestyle, the least you can do is master the art of the sword." Hanzo spat bitterly, making Genji feel disappointed in himself.

"Come on, Hanzo. You've seen what I can do with a sword, I'm already great." Genji scoffed arrogantly as a last attempt in keeping his ego intact.

His brother was unfazed. When Hanzo placed his bow down and began to walk toward his younger brother, Genji knew just how serious he was at that moment. It was almost scary, fitting for the next in line for the Shimada throne.

"Yesterday...it was as if you were a completely different person." Hanzo explained. "You could not speak Japanese, you had a strange foreign accent...you could barely hold a sword properly. Can you explain this?"

No, Genji thought. His face showed his answer to Hanzo. There was an uncomfortable silence between the siblings, nothing but the gentle breeze gliding through the trees surrounding them. Genji gathered the courage to look at Hanzo, his eyes showing a hint of gentleness. It was a fleeting moment before he turned away to focus on his archery. As if he needed more training in that, Genji thought.

"Sorry." Genji mumbled before turning to leave for the dojo where they held sword training.

Spending time with his father always brightened his mood. The training session he was about to have (again, according to Hanzo) should help him push down the confusing negativity Hanzo was giving him. Upon arriving at the sliding screen doors, Genji overheard a few of the elders in the clan talking to his father.

“He’s reckless! He’s making the Shimada Clan look foolish with his behavior.”

“Enough of this. I will talk to him myself. My name has been through enough, I can take it.”

“Sojiro—”

“We are the biggest clan in Japan. Do you believe the actions of one man will ruin the face of the Shimada Clan?”

Genji was appreciative of his father siding with him, but that made the elders bitter toward both of them. His father gave him everything he wanted, let him do whatever he wanted, and all he got in return was venom from other members of their clan. He wondered if he was making a mistake, rejecting most of the jobs his father assigned to him. Perhaps doing just one or two will help his image. But damn it, does Genji hate their clan’s operations. Something about criminal activities just didn’t appeal to him.

The doors glided open as the elders walked out, huffing immaturely to themselves. They hadn’t noticed Genji as they made their way out of the castle to do their jobs.

“Genji.” His father’s voice called from within the dojo. He entered the room, sliding the doors shut behind him. “How are you feeling today?”

He shrugged. “I’m okay.”

Sojiro took immediate notice of Genji’s mood. He watched his son carefully as he made his way to the practice swords.

“What’s wrong, little sparrow?”

“Nothing.” Genji lied, picking up his favorite training sword. “Are we going to train now? I want to go out later.”

Swinging the sword idly was just Genji’s nervousness from his father’s unwavering gaze. He didn’t have to look in Sojiro’s direction to know that he’s being stared at. Combined with Hanzo’s coldness and the elders’ bitterness, it ended up annoying him. It wasn’t his father’s fault and yet he couldn’t help feeling angry toward him.

Using the negativity as a source of power, he lunged straight for Sojiro with the sword, who dodged with a smooth, graceful side step. With a quickness that Genji could barely process, his father swatted at his back with his own practice sword, knocking Genji to the floor. If he had to be honest, that was enough practice for the day now that his mood took a nosedive.

“Your movements have improved from yesterday.” His father laughed softly.

“What is with you guys and your obsession with yesterday? Focus on the present.” Genji complained from the ground, not bothering to get up.

“Yesterday’s actions can reflect on the present, Genji.”

“I...can’t remember anything from yesterday.” Genji confessed, his voice dropping with his mood. Sojiro didn’t look surprised. He probably didn’t expect him to remember.

Sitting properly on the floor with his sword placed next to him, Sojiro let out a loud sigh as he crossed his arms. “You were not yourself. We almost believed you to be possessed.”

“I had a dream, father. It felt too real...it felt like it happened yesterday.” Genji explained. “I was living a similar life to this, except I was a low class member and not of Japanese descent.”

Sojiro did not respond, but Genji knew he was trying to think of solutions to his problem. Holding up his arm, Genji pulled his arm guard off to take another look at the faded writing on his arm. “Who...was he?”

“Who are you referring to?” Sojiro spoke up. Genji continued to stare at the words barely visible on his forearm. If only it could somehow tell him about this mysterious person in his dream.

“I don’t know.”


	3. Family Lunch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'know, it's pretty difficult to write a story like Your Name. The movie itself swapped between the characters, sometimes in the middle of their sentences which created a nice scene. It's a lot more difficult to portray something like that through writing.
> 
> As for Amelie's personality...I am trying to write her pre-Talon. That's difficult to grasp since I haven't seen any content on her before she became Widowmaker.

The past few days went on normally for Jesse. It wasn’t ideal to call a gangster life mundane, but he was thankful for how unoriginal it was. The memories of the Japanese gangster life was pushed so far back he nearly forgot them...that is, until he fell asleep and woke up the next day in an unfamiliar room.

Jesse sat up so quickly he gave himself whiplash. The first thing running through his exhausted mind was that he had been kidnapped. Someone stirred around in the sheets next to him, startling Jesse out of his thoughts. A beautiful woman was by his side, naked and half-awake. When she spoke to him, he did not understand a single word. Merely staring at her with a dumb look on his face apparently angered her.

“I-I’m sorry, you gotta speak English for me to understand anythin’ you’re sayin’.” Jesse attempted to explain, but it only struck fear in her eyes.

His voice was higher than normal.

No. Not this again.

Jesse surveyed the room only to realize the same dream was happening again. At this point, was it even considered a dream? Everything felt too real for it to be one.

It was the exact same Japanese-style home, the exact same room, the exact same person. Something rose in the pit of his stomach. The situation itself wasn’t terrifying, though anxiety due to the unknown phenomenon wasn’t out of the question. The wall mirror nearby reflected an unfamiliar body.

“Are you fuckin’ serious?” Jesse spat viciously at the reflection before him.

“Genji!” The woman shouted. She was growing impatient with him, he could tell.

A knock on the door distracted their attention away from each other for a moment. The door was unlocked, and whoever walked in didn’t know what privacy was. He looked familiar, he showed up in Jesse’s previous dream as well, but he can’t remember who it was.

The other man spoke in Japanese. Although he tried so hard to understand what he was saying, Jesse knew next to nothing about the language. No matter how hard he concentrated on the words, it was futile. Now, if they said “arigato”, Jesse may have an idea of what they want to say. Other than that one word, Jesse was in a hopeless situation.

“Look, I don’t know who—”

“Oh. So you’re speaking English again, Genji.” The man said with a hint of venom.

The woman in Genji's bed covered herself. “Hanzo?”

A lightbulb turned on in Jesse’s head. Hanzo was a family member, if he remembered correctly. By the looks of it, a bothersome older brother of Genji. The two exchanged several more Japanese sentences before the woman dressed herself under the sheets and ran off. Hanzo turned his attention to Jesse.

Does he know? Does he know he’s not Genji?

“We are having a family lunch. Get ready.” Was all Hanzo said, taking his leave soon after.

Jesse took a long, hard look at the reflection staring back at him from the mirror. Genji was approximately a foot or so smaller than Jesse, and not bad to look at. Still, Jesse did not want to live this life for him. That was another question unanswered: Was he living someone else’s life? Why did it have to be him of all people?

A symbol on a huge piece of fabric hanging on the wall reminded Jesse of the training days ago. Before heading off to a foreign country with new rules and new faces, the boss had to give the rookies some pointers. The Shimada Clan symbol was the symbol on the piece of fabric. He was not just living out a random Japanese gangster’s life, he was living a Shimada Clan member’s life. Judging by the size of the room and what Jesse could remember from wandering around the halls from his previous “visit”, he must be one of the highest ranking members.

“No fuckin’ way...” Jesse murmured under his breath.

Jesse glanced at a device sitting on the nightstand, vibrating to notify him that he had a notification. The notification, undoubtedly, was in Japanese. The phone was one of the latest models. He got into it easily, needing only to slide it open.

This Genji person was an idiot to not have a password. Rich people are wild, Jesse thought. An app titled “Diary” caught Jesse’s eye. Since he was stuck as Genji, it wasn’t wrong for him to snoop, right?

Genji wrote in the app almost every day, recording mundane and interesting events that occurred. Jesse ended up spending the next half hour skimming through the entries, trying to find any lick of English. As expected, there were only one or two words at best.

“I wish I could read this.” Jesse said aloud. An idea popped into his head. Perhaps he could communicate with Genji through the diary. He opened a new entry, but the keyboard was in Japanese. Jesse wasn’t sure how to add English to it.

“Are you ready yet, Genji?” Hanzo’s voice boomed from the hallway.

Jesse grabbed the clothes he could find on the floor, clothes Genji must have worn the night before, and put them on. It looked presentable enough for a family lunch. He brushed his hair hastily, letting it sit however it wanted.

“Hey, Hanzo. How do you add English to the phone?” Jesse asked, pointing to Genji’s phone. Hanzo sighed deeply, grabbing the phone and pushing his fingers against the screen. He didn’t seem the type to know how to work a phone.

Opening a new entry once again, Jesse began typing away.

_We are having a family lunch. Hanzo is overdressed. Is this normal? Or am I underdressed?_

Closing the app until further events, Jesse followed Hanzo out of their home. It wasn’t a regular home, though. When Jesse was outside, he knew it was more of a castle. A beautiful woman was waiting near a car, along with a few men in suits. These gangsters were the real deal.

Hanzo took the woman’s hand and led her into the car, following right behind her. Jesse stood where he was, unsure if he were allowed to go in. The men in suits looked at him, asking him a question in Japanese.

“Can I go in too?”

They looked at each other, surely puzzled. One of them gestured toward the car. Jesse was motioned toward the other side, however, so the woman was sitting between him and Hanzo. Their father, Jesse presumed, was in the passenger seat.

The car ride was uncomfortably silent. Jesse took a peek at the woman sitting next to him. Her hand was resting gently atop Hanzo’s.

“Oh!” Jesse blurted out. It surprised the woman, causing her to stare at him.

“What is it, Genji?” She asked. Oh, another person with an accent. The sentence was too short for Jesse to pinpoint it.

“Nothin’.”

The driver said something in Japanese as the car stopped. Everyone began taking off their seatbelts, so Jesse followed suit. The restaurant looked small from the outside, though walking in proved Jesse wrong. The patrons look like they grow money on trees; meanwhile, he was dressed so casually, he looked like he was just trying to go to a McDonald’s and got dragged by his family to a nicer restaurant. Hanzo and their father hadn’t said anything about his appearance.

They followed a waiter upstairs, where they only had one table. These Shimadas sure are fancy, even just for lunch. Jesse took  his place next to Genji’s father, while Hanzo sat next to his partner. Menus were given to them, but their father already knew what he wanted.

Thankfully, the menus were partially in English, most likely due to Hanzo’s partner being present. Even with English, Jesse wasn’t sure what half of the food items were.

“The usual?” A waiter asked him. He just nodded.

“How are you enjoying Japan, Amelie?” Their father asked the woman sitting across from them.

Amelie, huh? What a pretty name, Jesse thought.

“It is beautiful here. The culture is equally as beautiful.” Amelie answered. The more they spoke, Jesse realized she was French. Hanzo picked himself a good one.

When Hanzo glanced over at him, Jesse gave him a thumbs up with a smug look on his face. Hanzo’s face twisted in confusion, but he knew what Jesse was trying to convey. When Amelie and their father stopped talking for a second to sip at some sake, Hanzo cleared his throat.

“I am thankful for your approval, Father.” Hanzo bowed from where he sat.

“Woah, you’re tyin’ the knot, buddy?” Jesse asked. “Congrats to both of ya.”

Amelie giggled, taking another sip of sake. “Oh? You approve after all, Genji?”

While the three talked, Jesse opened up the diary app.

_Turns out he ain’t overdressed. I’m underdressed. Y'all are some fancy people._

The food arrived, all unfamiliar dishes to Jesse. He was handed a noodle dish that smelled delicious, but he was still skeptical. Everyone ate their food as they chatted about Hanzo and Amelie’s wedding plans while Jesse stared at his. It can’t be that bad. If only they didn’t give him chopsticks. Jesse picked up the chopsticks carefully, positioning them in his hands like pencils. He remembered Winona teaching him how to use them once. Something about holding a pencil. The struggle didn’t go unnoticed by Genji’s family.

“Do you need a fork, Genji?” His father teased him, earning a laugh from Amelie. Jesse only pouted in response, a hint of embarrassment rushing to redden his cheeks.

For some reason, Jesse felt different sitting with these people. When he sat and ate with Winona and Trevor, it just felt like a couple of unwanted children huddling up together to stay warm. Here, with the Shimadas (and Amelie), he felt at home. It had been so long since he felt familial warmth from a group of people.

_Did you know your brother is getting married? He’s marrying that Amelie woman. She’s mighty fine if you ask me. She thinks of you as a brother-in-law already. You got a good thing going on here. Sucks this is just a strange dream._

_Also they think you can’t use chopsticks anymore. I hope that ain’t a problem for you._

_\- Jesse_


	4. Nina

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't like how this chapter turned out. I wanted too much to happen at once and ended up condensing it all.

“Jesse!”

Loud banging on the door woke Genji up from his peaceful slumber. He let out a loud groan, trying to shut the noise out with his pillow.

“Jesse! Wake up!”

Jesse?

Genji sat up, his eyes adjusting to his surroundings. It was the unfamiliar shoddy room from his dream. He was living an American life again. All he had to do was look at his hands to notice the darker skin tone and the calloused hands to figure out he wasn’t in his own body. If it took an entire day again, Genji will believe it to be real and not a dream.

The impatient woman opened his door anyway. It was the same woman he remembered flirting with. Ah, she was just like Hanzo. Fantastic.

“C’mon, or you’ll miss Nina.” She said. She winked when she said this.

Who was Nina?

Well, Genji wasn’t going to figure that out lying in bed. He wanted to critique Jesse for his messiness when he sat up and took a better look around. His closet had a few hangers here and there with only one shirt hanging properly. The drawers, upon inspection, only held a few boxers and jeans. Everything else was scattered around the room. The only organization was the pile of clothes sitting on a chair. They didn’t smell, so Genji guessed they were clean clothes.

Oh, right. He was supposed to go see a person named Nina. Grabbing a pair of jeans and a shirt from Jesse’s clean pile, Genji strolled out the door.

“Winona’s waiting for us.” Another familiar person said in his direction. Genji remembered that name belonging to the girl he flirted with. If only he remembered the guy’s name.

Beyond the doorway was the common room where a few people gathered around one woman. Winona was among them, gesturing for Genji to stand next to her. “Nina, Jesse’s here!”

The beautiful woman everyone was surrounding glanced at Genji. “Hey, Jesse.”

“Greetings!” Genji grinned, pleased with her beauty. Jesse chose a good one.

“Greetings?” She giggled. “That’s a new one from you, Jesse. Did you just wake up again? Let’s go get something to eat.”

The few guys there aside from Trevor scowled in Genji’s direction, though it didn’t faze him. He was good at winning over women in Japan, that wasn’t going to change just because he was in a foreign country. Jesse was a piece of American eye candy, Genji confessed. He could see why someone as gorgeous as Nina would like Jesse.

“Boss, I’m taking these kids to lunch. Let them have the day off.” Nina nearly ordered him. Only Nina could do such a thing and get away with it alive and unharmed. Winona and Trevor looked at Genji with an excited expression on their faces.

Judging by the rest of the group’s reaction, it was just the trio joining Nina for lunch. She led the way out, Winona and Trevor nearly prancing after her. Genji followed beside her, trying to help Jesse win her over.

The walk to get lunch was further than Genji expected. The heat from the blazing sun only made him more fatigued. He let out a groan, hunching over as he walked. “Can’t we just take a car?”

The other three laughed, as though suggesting such a thing was preposterous. They were a gang, didn’t they have transportation?

“Do you really think the boss will let us take a car for lunch?” Winona teased him.

Genji pouted. It wasn’t going to get him what he wanted here. “He should.”

Arriving at the restaurant gave him a new sense of melodramatic hope. The free water Genji received was gone before the waitress asked if they wanted any other drinks. Nina sat across from him with Winona, while he was stuck sitting next to Trevor. For a moment, he was bothered by it. A pen the waitress accidentally left behind and a piece of napkin sitting neatly under silverware gave him an idea to waste any awkward time with doodling.

“Y’all ready to order?” The waitress finally came back with a few drinks. She took out a notepad and a pen. Genji forgot to look at the menu as Trevor pushed a cup of soda toward him.

“Here is your root beer, Jesse.”

Genji tensed up at the mention of root beer. “Disgusting.”

“...I thought you liked root beer.”

“No.” Genji refused, pushing the drink away from him. Jesse may like root beer, but Genji sure as hell didn’t. “Do you have tea?”

The waitress nodded, writing it down. While everyone ordered, Genji skimmed through the menu, trying to find something he might like. Everything sounded good. The pictures looked as if they were stolen from a higher quality restaurant, but it made him curious enough to want to try some of them. There were dishes that did not have an image, which left him wondering. His curiosity got the best of him and he ordered the most American-sounding steak dish...the country fried steak, whatever that was.

The waitress took their menus after they had ordered, her lips never forming a proper smile. The most Genji had seen was a smirk that looked like a forced smile. The waitress didn’t seem polite but who would be if they worked at a restaurant that was falling apart?

Grabbing the napkin and pen, Genji began to doodle things he remembered seeing in Jesse’s life. The large canyons were drawn on one side. He opened the fold to draw Jesse’s room from memory. He hid the napkin when he caught Nina glancing over curiously.

“What do you have there, Jesse?” She had asked.

“Nothing.” Genji stammered. He clutched the napkin in his hands like his life depended on it. His grip on the drawing loosened when the other three were caught up in their conversation that he didn’t bother listening in on. For some reason, engaging in conversation at the table felt uncomfortably strange to Genji. For now, he would stay out of it.

“Alrighty, kids. Here’s your food.” The waitress came by with a huge serving plate, balancing it easily on one hand as she handed everyone their orders. When Genji received his plate, he was immediately disappointed. The steak was definitely fried, but it was also covered in thick gravy. The menu didn’t mention any gravy.

“Excuse me, what is this?” Genji asked. He was also handed a cup of amber liquid and a small sugar packet. “And what is that?”

“Your tea and country fried steak, dear.” She answered.

The disappointment on his face was obvious to everyone who was there. Genji didn’t want to ruin the moment he had with Nina, because that would ruin Jesse’s relationship with her. But he didn’t want to eat the strange American dish. Eyeing everyone else’s food, Genji noticed that Trevor had biscuits with what looked to be similar gravy. Winona had chips covered in liquid cheese and ground beef. Maybe American cuisine wasn’t as good as it looked.

The only food that looked good was Nina’s burger, but she was already scarfing that down. Genji only took a few bites of his own food, trying to make it seem like he enjoyed it. When he couldn’t stomach more of the fried meat smothered in thick gravy, he pushed his plate forward and grabbed the pen and napkin to pass the time.

Whenever she was distracted, Genji drew Nina. He tried his best to capture her best features. He didn’t want to brag, but he thought all of his drawings were pretty damn good for diner doodles.

Half of a sentence someone on his table said finally registered in his brain.

“...so focused.”

“Jesse.”

Genji covered his drawing when he realized he was being watched. Everyone had finished most of their meal, more than likely waiting for him to either finish his food or drawing.

“I didn’t know you draw.” Nina pointed out. She took a last sip of her soda. When Genji didn’t answer, she got up from her seat and left a tip on the table. “Anyway, we’ll discuss the mission trip again when I come back.”

Although he felt guilty about Nina paying for his untouched food, Winona had Genji’s meal packed up as leftovers, much to his dismay. He pocketed his drawings to leave on Jesse’s nightstand. The walk back was shorter than he remembered it to be. Genji was too lost in his own thoughts, an unusual thing for him to do when he’s out. If only he had a drink or two.

“This is as far as I will go. I must go home now.” Nina informed the trio. “I gotta get to the train station now if I wanna make it home by sunset.”

“See you later.” Trevor waved, already heading in the direction of their shared living space. Winona waited for Genji to catch up with them, but he turned to Nina instead.

 “Can I walk you to the station?” Genji asked Nina, shocking Nina and Trevor.

Nina simply smiled. “Sure, Jesse.”


	5. Notes (I'm Single Because I Want to Be)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is completely different. It will be a tiny series of messages McCree and Genji leaves for each other each time they swap bodies. If I wrote every single time they switched, it would just get repetitive, so I decided to write out the "rules" montage from the movie. Unfortunately, no upbeat Japanese music is included.

_Jesse, your American gangster life is different from what I expected. It was not like the movies or like in Japan. However, you are lucky to have someone like Nina. We had lunch today and I walked her back to the station. I made sure to show her you are interested. Winona said so. I drew things from your life in hopes I remember when I return to my own body. They are on the napkin from the restaurant we went to._

_\- Genji_

 

_Stop meddling with my relationships!! Leave Nina alone, will ya? She doesn’t want to deal with a brat like me. Your drawings are nice though. You did Nina some justice, but that’s odd to just be drawing people like that. As for your life: why are you so cold to your brother’s partner? She’s really nice. And what’s with this crazy ninja training? Can’t y’all be normal and just use guns?_

_Stop being nice to Amelie. She hasn’t earned my respect yet. Learn some Japanese, will you? Put some effort into it, just like with my ninja training. I’m trying to learn how to use your gun. While we are on the subject, why is Deadlock so brash and rowdy? It is troublesome behavior. It’ll never get far like this. In other news, I got coffee with Nina. I think you two can really start something here._

_\- Genji_

_Will you stop spending my money on these dates? Unlike you, I ain't a rich playboy. I ain’t got a rich daddy to spoil me. I ain’t got that kind of money to spend!! Seriously, leave Nina alone, she ain’t even in my league. You should try putting all that effort and energy into communicating with your family more. Is the rich kid life not all it's cracked up to be?_

_At least I am trying to help you, Jesse. I have been on countless dates with many people. You wouldn’t know what that is like, correct? Besides, that is a sort of payback for you constantly being nice to Amelie. She will believe me to have extreme mood swings if you don’t keep up with my attitude towards her. Let Hanzo be angry about it. He won’t do anything. He never does._

_\- Genji_

_Don’t speak to me like you know how to win a lady over. You ain’t even got a partner. All you have are one-night stands. What kind of idiot doesn’t like root beer by the way?_

_Look who is talking, you don’t have one either. In fact, helping you with Nina is the closest you will probably ever get so you should be grateful. As for me, I’m only single because I want to be._

_\- Genji_

_Well I’m also single because I want to be. So take that, ya cocky prick._

 

_あほ_

_\- Genji_


	6. Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was difficult to write, because I had multiple ways I wanted this to go. Also took a considerable amount of time looking up kuchikamizake and how it was originally intended for virginal young women to make them. Ended up making it a marriage ceremonial thing in my fic. It irks me to twist things like that, but I ran out of ideas.

When Jesse woke up, he was back in Genji’s body. Hanzo had woken him up for a family trip again, this time to visit the place he wanted to hold his wedding ceremony with Amelie. He knew Genji disapproved of Amelie for an unknown reason, but Jesse couldn’t wait to partake in the family day. He would have to enjoy it for Genji.

Thankfully, he didn’t have to dress up. They were travelling to the outskirts of the city toward the mountains. There was a shrine there by a lake, Hanzo had told him. The name escaped him, but he was happy just tagging along and seeing Japan’s beautiful nature.

“Amelie,” Sojiro called out as he led them into the shrine, “I am very happy that you chose to go with a more traditional wedding with Hanzo. We do not have many traditional ceremonies here anymore, but it is still good to try to keep tradition alive.”

Everyone stood a few feet away from him, waiting for instructions. He grabbed wooden boxes and other objects Jesse couldn’t see until he turned around with them in hand. The three each got a wooden box and a bottle.

“This tradition has changed throughout the years. Now, we just use it for marriage ceremonies.” He explained, opening up a bottle for each of them. “You let the rice ferment in this and it becomes sake, but because you made it from your mouth, it is also a part of you. You are sharing a part of you with your spouse and the gods that reside in this shrine.”

Jesse noticed that Genji had one as well. He pointed at his box. “Why does Ge-Why do I have one then?”

“Don’t you remember? You didn’t want to be left out so you practically begged me to let you do it too.” Sojiro laughed.

That Genji’s such a brat, Jesse thought. It was cute, if he had to be honest.

“When you have your ceremony, Hanzo will offer you his, and you will offer him yours. Genji, you can leave yours in here for when you decide to find someone to love.”

Sojiro instructed them to pour the sake from the wooden box into the bottle. Jesse was proud of having a lot less spillage than he expected. He was sure Genji would be proud too. When he checked on Hanzo and Amelie’s bottle, they had no signs of spilling their sake.

“That sake is half of you; it’s a small part of you.” Sojiro said.

This little bottle holds a part of Genji, Jesse thought. He looked at the little bottle that held Genji’s kuchikamizake. He turned it around in his hand, feeling the liquid move around.

“We will have the reception down by the lakeside, just in time for the comet to be at its peak.”

Perhaps Jesse wasn’t paying attention to the news enough to remember there was a visible comet passing by. It was a romantic idea to get married as the comet flew by. The idea definitely came from Amelie, not Hanzo.

Amelie followed Sojiro around the shrine as he explained many of its features to her. Not only was she willing to marry a man as stiff as Hanzo, but she was willing to learn and open up her mind to their culture. Why did Genji dislike her so much?

Hanzo followed them outside, staring at the sun setting below the mountains. Amelie and Sojiro walked further down the hill to get a better look at the area they were going to hold the reception. Jesse would love to be part of it. He prayed he would switch bodies with Genji on the day of the wedding.

“I know you don’t like her very much, but I am happy to see you act your best today.” Hanzo spoke up. Jesse looked at him, but Hanzo was still staring off into the sunset.

 “I hope I can...” He paused, “...remember the wedding. All of it.”

Hanzo gave him a curious look, blinking a few times to process whatever was going on in his head.

“Ah, Genji...” Hanzo started, “You’re dreaming, aren’t you?”

The question surprised Jesse, but before he could respond, he woke up in his own bed. He sat up, feeling something wet running down his cheeks. When he wiped his eyes, he knew he had cried. It was rare for him to cry, much less, wake up crying.

Jesse’s thoughts immediately went back to Genji and his life. He had grown comfortable with their constant switching; missing the times he shared with Genji’s family when he woke up in his own body. The best way to connect with him was through their notes for each other. The most recent note Genji left was on top of his alarm clock.

_I have arranged a date for you with Nina at noon. I hope it goes well. I would have loved to go on this date, but you need to do the work for once. Have fun for me._

_\- Genji_

“A date?!” Jesse shouted, rushing to get ready. He had twenty minutes to get ready and meet Nina in the city. He made sure to be well groomed and well dressed. While rushing around, Jesse bumped into Winona. She was prepared for a mission, Trevor following close behind.

“I almost forgot we got-”

“Nina sweet-talked them into letting you meet up with her.” Winona interrupted him. “Apparently it’s business-related, but we all know it isn’t.”

Without further need for explanations, Jesse ran out the door toward the train station. His friends didn’t look back as they headed the opposite direction. “Thanks!”

“Have fun.”

By the time he reached the train station, Jesse was out of breath. Gathering himself together, Jesse attempted to look like he had been waiting. He wiped the sweat from his brow to erase any evidence of his rush. It was only his desperate lungs gasping for air giving anything away.

“Jesse. Are you ready?” Nina’s soft voice somehow managed to startle him. He turned around and noticed how beautiful she looked. She was always a beautiful woman, but he could tell Nina put extra thought into her fashion just for the date. Jesse was thankful he tried with his appearance despite the time limit.

“Let’s go.”

As soon as Nina led the way for their date, Jesse knew it was not going to end well. It wasn’t like Jesse was against a woman taking the lead, but Genji gave him this chance to finally step up, to do something about his affection, and he managed to ruin it.

They ended up at a museum about the world. Jesse didn’t find any of it particularly interesting, unlike Nina. She was babbling about the countries they passed by, telling him about all the places she had the chance to visit. They walked by the Asian exhibit, where Jesse caught a glimpse of Japan’s showcase. He felt drawn to the Japanese pictures, where beautiful mountains surround a lake and shrine. Surely Jesse had been staring at the framed pictures for too long, Nina tapping him on the shoulder to get him to snap out of his thoughts.

“You seem different today.” Nina said.

Jesse didn’t answer her, merely following as she led him around. The longer the date lasted, the more Jesse knew it wasn’t going to get better all because of the images of Japan. Even as Nina led him to get lunch, Jesse couldn’t fully enjoy himself with her. Their conversations felt similar to the way he spoke with Winona and Trevor— just as friends.

It wasn’t until they have finished their meal when Nina finally brought up his uncharacteristic behavior. Jesse offered to take her somewhere else, though she shook her head.

“Jesse,” Nina said, “didn’t you have a crush on me?”

Jesse stammered to find an answer. Saying yes wasn’t in his character, but saying no would be a lie. “I...no. I mean...”

“You like someone else now, don’t you?” She asked. The hesitance in Jesse’s demeanor was telling enough for Nina. She chuckled softly to herself, waving at him as she walked off to catch her train. “That’s it for today. We’ll discuss our travels tomorrow. Have a good night.”

Jesse felt a terrible guilt churning in his stomach for wasting away all of Genji’s efforts to help him. Not only was he going to disappoint Genji, he must have made Nina feel terrible. As he made his way back home, he thought about Nina and how much she really meant to him. She was right; Jesse had a crush on her, but he hadn’t been feeling the same way about her lately. Winona did say that people tend to idolize the target of their affection. She told Jesse that he should really get to know them before he decided on dating, and it never made sense before.

Arriving home, Jesse sat himself down under his small lamp and wrote back to Genji about the disastrous date. A simple “It didn’t work out” was all he could write. If he went into detail, he won’t be able to stop himself from saying more. He went to bed after tossing aside his shirt and pants, eager for the day they switch again so Genji could read about the date. He was eager for the day he would see Sojiro, Hanzo, and Amelie again.

However, after a week had gone by, it became apparent to Jesse that they stopped switching places.


	7. Wedding with a View

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like the quality has diminished. I am trying too hard to cram everything into one chapter to imitate the movie. Also, work has exhausted me this week with long back-to-back hours. I sacrificed sleep and quality to upload this chapter tonight/today so I apologize for the mediocrity.

The day of his brother’s wedding, Genji woke up feeling a pang of jealousy tugging at his heart. He had set up a real date with Nina for Jesse, hoping Jesse could find happiness just like Hanzo did. In the end, Genji forgot about himself. An hour had passed and he was still laying in bed, contemplating whether he was jealous of Jesse for going on a real date or he was jealous of Nina. His mind was like a beehive, his thoughts everywhere at once. Before he could figure out his thoughts about Jesse, he went back to thinking about Hanzo and Amelie.

“Genji.”

His father entered his room, standing by the door. Genji sat up, but didn’t get out of bed.

“It’s about time to leave. Hanzo and Amelie are waiting.” He said.

“I don’t want to go anymore.” Genji confessed, looking down at his phone. The last entry Jesse wrote was about his excitement for Hanzo’s wedding. If only Genji shared the same feelings. “I’ll meet you guys at the reception, if that’s okay.”

Sojiro stayed silent for a moment. It wasn't like Genji was just an audience member. He participated in the sake drinking after the couple read vows.

“Perhaps I'll make this exception. Just be sure to get the reception ready in time." Sojiro said, obviously upset by Genji's choice. Trying to hide the disappointment was futile. Genji could tell, and it only made both of them feel guilty.

He made his way to Genji's bed, finding a spot at the edge of it to sit down. "Amelie is a good woman."

Genji sighed, not wanting to deal with it. But he surprised his father and himself with his response. "I know."

"Then why do you reject her?" Sojiro asked curiously.

"Why did we act like a family after she arrived?" Genji retorted, anger threatening to escape with his voice. "We could have done that all these years, and yet all you and Hanzo spoke of was the family business."

"Are you jealous of her?"

The truth hurts, Genji thought. He had denied it all this time, but hearing Sojiro put it into words really hurt. He got up from his bed, getting ready for the wedding as he tried to convey his feelings properly into words. But each word he wanted to say stung him. "Hanzo became colder to me. You focused your energy and time on Hanzo. Amelie came out of nowhere and suddenly we're acting like a family again, like when we were still boys. But only because of her. Why is that?"

Sojiro had a look of guilt on his face, but Genji didn't want him to feel guilty. If anything, he blamed Hanzo. They didn’t keep the Shimada castle with a white-collar job. The business was illegal and risky, but Sojiro did it for the sake of his sons. Genji was grateful that his brother and father took care of the family’s clan, but that shouldn’t come at the expense of their real family.

"You need to talk to Hanzo about this. Holding such animosity isn't healthy." His father put a hand on his shoulder, and then got up to leave Genji with his thoughts.

He didn't want to go to the wedding, but he needed to talk to Hanzo. Amelie did nothing wrong, yet Genji was hostile to her. It was time for him to right his own wrongs.

Genji got ready shortly after Sojiro's departure, rushing to make the trip to the shrine in time for the ceremony. There was a small glimmer of hope that they hadn’t left the premises yet, and he could go to the shrine with them.

When he arrived outside, the car they were supposed to take was gone. Only a few bodyguards were around.

"Taka, where's my family?" Genji asked one of his clan members. Takashi pointed off into the distance.

"They left already. Shouldn't you be with them?" Takashi asked, putting his hands in his pockets. He pulled a set of keys out, heading to another car. "How lazy of you to be late for your own brother's wedding. Come on, I'll drive you there."

"Shut up." Genji grumbled as he got in the passenger's seat. "You just want an excuse to drive a car."

Takashi grinned. "You know it."

The drive was tedious to say the least. Takashi was rambling about the spirits that reside in the area surrounding the shrine, most of it conspiracy theories. Genji enjoyed Takashi's company– in fact they're friends– but when he had the chance to, he would rant and rave about conspiracies he heard or read about.

“I bet the spirits that are said to be the gods that protect the shrine are actually demons. I read that online. Why else, aside from the beautiful view, would anyone want to go there? The atmosphere is scary at night and—”

"Taka, stop the car. I'm walking the rest of the way. Get the reception area ready or I'll kick your ass." Genji interrupted him, already opening the car door before it came to a complete stop.

Takashi stepped on the break hard, letting Genji get out safely. "Yeah, I'd like to see you try, Shimada."

"Thanks for the ride!" Genji yelled as he rushed toward the shrine. The priests and maidens have already led Hanzo and Amelie inside given the vacant courtyard.

At the risk of being rude in the eyes of the elders attending, Genji made his way into the shrine, taking off his shoes at the door. Amelie had just finished reading her vows, in Japanese no less. The fact that she practiced for it made Genji feel worse about being so spiteful toward her. She wanted to be part of Hanzo's life, and her dedication showed.

The elders looked at Genji bitterly, though he ignored them and made his way to his seat. Shrine maidens danced gracefully across the floor, blessing everyone before they all drank sake.

As the priest said a blessing, Hanzo turned around and locked eyes with Genji. He gave Hanzo a smile, receiving one in return.

After cheering, everyone drank from their sake cup. The ceremony finished up, everyone now heading to the reception area. Genji waited until Hanzo and Amelie had finished taking their photos to approach them. Amelie was happy to see him, and Hanzo, surprised.

“You two look great.”

"Thank you for attending, Genji." Amelie said.

"Congratulations. Let's go celebrate while the comet is still in the sky." Genji responded. He led the way toward the setting sun. It created a beautiful twilight that complemented the comet.

Behind him, Amelie spoke in a hushed voice. “He seems to be in a good mood today.”

“He is usually like this, just not around us.” Hanzo muttered.

“It feels familiar.” Amelie thought aloud, clinging onto Hanzo’s arm.

“Hm.”

In front of them, Genji walked slower, his eyes fixated on the sky.

“Look, guys!” Genji shouted to get their attention. “The comet split in half!”

Above the reception was a breathtaking view. Soft, cool hues colored the sky, dotted by twinkling stars. The main attraction was the comet, now split into two separate bodies.

“Let’s get a picture.” Amelie said to the photographer. Genji followed the photographer with his own phone, watching as Hanzo and Amelie got ready for the photo. The two cameramen snapped a few photos for the married couple.

_I should share some of these with Jesse. He would love to see this._

“Are you done, Genji?” Amelie asked, happy to be able to move again. Posing for photos almost all day tired her out, Genji assumed.

“Yeah, let me take a few more...for a friend.” Genji said, taking a few steps forward to get a better angle. The part of the comet that split was travelling faster than the main body, causing Genji to rush to fixate on it before the perfect shot escaped him.

Something stopped Genji from taking the photos, however. The way the comet was travelling seemed off. He lowered his phone, noticing the smaller comet’s path.

“Wait...is it...?” Amelie didn’t finish her sentence.

Genji’s eyes widened at the sight.


	8. Detour Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the lack of updates. I've been really sick the past few days and could barely get up for work. I haven't even had time or energy to reread it again so this hasn't been the best I could write. I'm happy to see repeat readers still showing interest in my little idea on the other hand. Thank you so much for your support!

The trip to Japan was a blur. Jesse slept most of the time; there wasn’t much to do anyway, since they were stowaways on a ship. Trevor was fine for half of the trip, but began to feel the motion sickness overcome him. No amount of motion sickness medication helped by the time they got to a port.

“Winona will scope out the area.” Nina said, concealing a gun and blade on her person. “We’re meeting Adam’s group tonight to plan an infiltration. For once, we’re not going in guns blazing. We get in, we get what we need, and we get out. Only shoot if necessary. Got it?”

Winona and Jesse were too busy stretching their aching legs to respond. Trevor walked into the hideout, wiping his mouth.

“You look like a ghost, Trev.” Jesse teased him as he messed with a red woven bracelet he brought along on the trip. Trevor was clearly not amused.

“What will y’all be doing for the time being then?” Winona asked, arming herself as well. She placed her hands on her hips, giving Jesse a look. Instead of weapons, Jesse packed snacks, extra clothes, and Japanese yen they had gotten from their boss.

“I have a mission of my own. I’ll go alone. Maybe I’ll be back by nightfall.” Jesse said as he walked out the door.

“Jesse! We’ll go with you.” Nina shouted. She snatched Trevor by his arm, tugging him along with her.

“What do you mean ‘we’, Nina?” Trevor whined.

“Y’all will only get in my way.” Jesse checked the map he was given by the gang, his location circled. Two more locations were circled that was their original mission, but Jesse couldn’t care less about their gang’s motives anymore. All that mattered to Jesse was meeting Genji face to face.

His first problem was he couldn’t recall what city Genji lived in. The only clue he had was the Shimada Clan, but asking around about them wasn’t a safe idea. Asking his fellow gang members would only raise suspicion. They would tag along to keep him safe, and that was the last thing he wanted as weird as that sounded.

His second problem was his lack of direction. Even if he knew his destination, Jesse couldn’t figure out which way to head. As he struggled with his map, Nina put her hand on his shoulder. “Jesse.”

“I gotta find someone.” Jesse responded, not looking at her.

Nina looked back at Winona and Trevor, then back at Jesse. His unshakeable determination was written all over his face. “Do you know where to find them?”

As if someone had wiped his memories, Jesse couldn’t remember who he was looking for. It was like a distant memory. Jesse was beginning to wonder if his fascination with a shrine was just his excitement to travel, even if it was just for his gang. With hesitation, Jesse confessed. “I don’t want no trouble, but the person I’m lookin’ for is in a Japanese gang...a clan, I think. That’s all I remember.”

At first, Nina was startled that Jesse could be associated with a foreign gang member. Jesse made it clear he wasn’t trying to start trouble. All he had was hope that she believed him. Judging by the look on her face, she was still suspicious.

“As long as we don’t head toward the Shimada castle, we should be fine.” The name rung a small bell in Jesse’s head.

“Actually,” Jesse chuckled, much to Nina’s dismay, “I’m headin’ straight over there.”

“Jesse—”

“Like I said, y’all stay here. I just need to find it.” What Jesse was trying to find was blurring away with the rest of his memories of Japan. Something about the red bracelet wrapped around his wrist made him feel nostalgic. It was a longing for something, or someone. His friends helped the memories stay intact as he struggled to keep them in his mind.

Travor walked up to them with his tablet, using a map application to determine their location and destination. “Hanamura is a few cities away. It may take about thirty minutes for us to get there.”

Jesse grumbled. “Didn’t I tell y’all to stay here?”

“Jesse, think for a second.” Winona firmly said, poking at his forehead. “We’re in a foreign country with less than thirty of our members here, and you’re about to charge into the castle of a foreign gang to find one person you barely know much about.”

“She’s right.” Trevor nodded in agreement. “If we are going to find this person, it’d have to be when they’re out and about.”

“All I remember was a shrine by a lake...I think.” Jesse tried to recall. “What’s the name? What’s...his name?”

Everyone’s eyes widened from the information. Winona even gasped, covering her mouth. They exchanged glances with each other before turning to face a clueless Jesse. He tilted his head in confusion, crossing his arms.

“Are you...looking for the actual Shimada family?”

The name rang a bell in Jesse’s head. Broken memories began to creep back into his mind. “Yeah. His name is...”

Nina shook her head when Jesse didn’t complete his sentence. “Jesse, are you sure?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” That was a question he should be asking himself.

“Jesse, those people were killed by that meteoroid.” Winona informed him.

Trevor was typing away at his tablet, looking up articles on the news Jesse clearly missed. He handed the tablet to Jesse, letting him read through the multiple articles that reported on the Shimada wedding that a comet, by shit luck, happened to crash into. Almost everyone in attendance had died, with a few shrine maidens and priests critically injured. The sentence he hoped not to see flashed in front of him.

“Among the deceased are all three immediate members of the Shimada family, including the eldest son’s bride.” Jesse read aloud in a defeated tone. A photo of the Shimada family confirmed his memory. Genji and his family came rushing back into his memories, overflowing his brain. He pointed at Genji in the photo. “I’m sure it’s him.”

“It can’t be. He died two years ago.” Trevor said.

Jesse reached into his pants pocket, pulling out the doodles Genji had drawn at the diner. It was old and tattered, but still intact. He was sure he was talking to Genji through their messages. They switched bodies many times, so much so they’ve bonded through it.

“How do I get to that shrine?” Jesse asked, pointing at the tablet.

“You need to find time to do this stuff. You’re always doing this while we’re working.” Nina said softly. She took the tablet, reopening the map application to figure out the exact location Jesse was looking for. “I’ll help you out again this time. I don’t know how much more lenient the boss will be.”

“Thanks, Nina. I owe you one.” He took the tablet with him, even though Trevor was going to need it later for the meetup. Jesse figured they could share Nina’s and make do.

Checking the map, Jesse noticed the shrine was closer to him than the city of Hanamura. He couldn’t pinpoint where the castle was, but it was definitely deep within the city, hidden in a nice, quiet area.

The man who helped smuggle them into the country agreed to drive him halfway there. The rest of the trip needed to be walked because of the unsteady ground, or so Jesse was told. He walked for ten minutes before he saw a familiar area. The last time he switched with Genji, they were headed to the shrine for the ceremony practice. The rest of the walk brought back the memories of practicing with Genji’s family. Jesse was still in disbelief about the news about the comet. If only he had lived closer, perhaps he had a chance to really meet Genji before he died.

Caution signs were scattered around the area. He was close, and he didn’t want to be. He didn’t want to see the damage caused by a stray meteoroid. Soon enough, he reached the top of a hill and the destruction surrounded his view.

The shrine’s courtyard and front half was falling apart, broken by debris. Below the shrine, down a small hill, was where the reception was held. He could see remnants of what was supposed to be the reception such as folding chairs and tables. Jesse’s heart sunk into his stomach.

Making his way into the ruins of the shrine, Jesse saw the section where old sake dishes were kept. He got on his knees to open it and look inside. Surprisingly, most of it remained unharmed due to them being in the cabinet. Next to Hanzo and Amelie’s empty kuchikamizake bottle was Genji’s untouched bottle.

“Our timelines ain’t in step, are they, Genji?” Jesse asked aloud, as if Genji could answer him. He opened the bottle, staring into it to look at the sake. The kuchikamizake was said to be half of the person who made it with their own mouth. What was the harm in drinking it?

He took a chug of the sake, wincing at the taste. It wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. Putting the cork back into the bottle, Jesse put it back where he found it and got up to leave. A piece of debris caught him off guard, causing him to slip backwards. As he fell back, Jesse saw an image of a comet splitting in two above him and everything went black.

A series of images flashed in his mind. A beautiful woman had just given birth. She said something in Japanese, but Jesse recognized the name “Genji” amongst the unfamiliar words. Time passed, showing his mother’s funeral. Genji’s life was flashing before his eyes.

“Genji...” Jesse’s voice echoed into the nothingness surrounding him. The memories were continuing without knowing of his presence.

Jesse saw how close Hanzo and Genji had been before Hanzo became serious about their family’s clan. He saw Genji, sitting alone in his room. His head perked up at the sound of his family coming home, but they only called him for dinner and left.

His teenage years were promiscuous. Instead of helping with the family’s business, Genji pursued a frivolous lifestyle, spending most of his nights partying and sleeping around with random people. That was when Hanzo announced his out-of-the-blue trip to France and came back with Amelie. When the Shimada family began acting like a real family again, Jesse could understand why Genji didn’t like Amelie at first. His heart began to ache.

The next flash was when Jesse witnessed Genji’s first time switching bodies. He saw Genji’s reaction to his badly written “Who are you?” on his forearm. He saw Genji being friendlier to Amelie, possibly due to Jesse's influence.

On the fateful day, Genji had confronted his father about his pent up anger before he headed to the wedding ceremony. In fact, he was rushing toward the shrine.

“Genji, get outta there!” Jesse cried out, but nothing happened.

The comet was high in the sky when everyone made it down to the reception area.

"Don't stay there! Tell everyone to run!"

Genji tried to take a photo, but realized the situation as well as Jesse had.

“Genji!”

The meteoroid struck and then there was nothing. Jesse opened his eyes, seeing a familiar room.


	9. A Trip to America

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Jesse, don't you remember me?" Throwback to the first chapter. What really happened two years ago. 
> 
> Again, sorry for timeskipping so much. It works a hundred times better in a movie. Anyway, I am still pretty sick, but I managed to spend the day trying to get this typed up. I think I have a number in mind for the last chapter. It should end at chapter 12...if I write this correctly.

Almost two months had passed since Genji and Jesse first swapped bodies, and within that timeframe, they have not met face to face. Genji wanted to change that. He had the money to do it, Jesse didn't. Jesse barely had access to communication devices that worked internationally. The problem was convincing his father to allow him to travel all the way to the United States for a man he never met.

His father was enjoying the afternoon with tea and sweets. He sat in the shade of their cherry blossom tree, like he always did. The best time to ask for something was when his father was at his calmest.

“Father, can I ask you for a huge favor?” Genji asked.

His father looked at him with gentle eyes. So far, so good. “What is it, Genji?”

“I want to go to America.”

His father's eyes widened, obviously curious. Genji only mustered up the best innocent face he could. It usually got him what he wanted.

“Why would you...”

“If Hanzo can randomly go to France, I want to go to America. Just one day, two days at best.” Genji interrupted him. Doing so meant he had to avoid eye contact to avoid the disappointment in his father's eyes. Talking over elders wasn't exactly respectful.

Just because Hanzo did something didn't necessarily mean he could too. But he couldn't tell his father about Jesse. Genji knew a lot about him, and yet so little that he couldn't give much information to his own father. Imagine being a father and hearing your son say “Father, I’ve been swapping bodies with a complete stranger from America and I want to meet him.” That would warrant an exorcism ritual.

“I just need some time to myself.” Genji vaguely explained.

His father stayed quiet for a while longer before sighing. “As long as it makes you happy, Sparrow. This will be your only last-minute trip alone.”

Genji’s lips formed a huge smile from the approval. Sojiro always gave him everything he wanted. He’ll remember not to take such a thing for granted again— of course, after this trip.

Because of their family’s connections, Sojiro managed to get Genji to America the following day. Even with an advanced plane, the trip still stole the day away. He landed in a city in Texas, where the Deadlock gang’s stronghold was allegedly located. The clock at the airport read 4:33 P.M. According to Genji’s phone, it would be past midnight in Japan. The jet lag was already getting to him. It was a race against time and Genji’s sleep schedule.

Genji searched around the city for less than two hours before his body succumbed to his drowsiness. He stayed at a five-star hotel he happened by for the evening. If Genji was being honest with himself, he was sightseeing the American city. It was true what they said about everything being big in Texas. He thought the portions at the small diner Nina took him to was big, but in this city, it made the diner’s food look like child’s play. The burger meal he ordered was monstrously large. He couldn’t finish half of it, saving the leftovers for when he woke up.

Genji’s body woke him up past midnight. There were no trains running at the time, so he was stuck in his hotel room with boring late night television shows. Looking through Jesse’s entries in his diary app passed the time a lot faster than American TV. Thinking about Jesse’s reaction to Japanese customs made him chuckle. Talk about a steep learning curve.

As soon as the clock flashed seven o’clock, Genji rushed out the door to continue his search. Finding his way around the city was easier than the countryside. It was noticeably more dangerous the further away he gets from the city. Getting closer to Deadlock territory was a huge risk for a foreigner, but he had to give it a try. The train he had been riding for hours slowed down and Genji caught a glimpse of a person slouched in a wooden chair in the station. He audibly gasped and got up from his seat, almost falling over when the train had stopped.

Outside at the end of the station, was a single man sleeping in his chair. There were bottles of alcohol littered on and around the creaky table in front of him. No doubt it was Jesse. Genji recognized that figure, that hair, that silly hat.

The only person who got off the train was Genji yet the train had stalled. He watched the conductor get out as another one greeted him. There was still time.

Alone with Jesse’s sleeping figure, Genji got nervous. What was he going to say? Would Jesse be okay with his sudden visit? Genji, the infamous playboy of Hanamura, was rendered speechless by a wannabe cowboy who was getting drunk at a dusty old train station. The other man was sleeping yet Genji found himself unable to find words to communicate.

Mustering up all the courage in his body, Genji walked up to Jesse. His heart was beating so loudly, he thought it may wake Jesse from his drunken slumber before his first words could.

“Jesse.”

Jesse slowly looked up at Genji, blinking himself awake. His eyes narrowed in a cautious manner. Approaching someone so casually could throw anyone off. Genji decided to take a step back, but the blush that tinted his cheeks didn’t go away. “It’s me.”

When Genji noticed Jesse’s unchanging expression, he began to have doubts. It was worth another try. “Jesse, don’t you remember me?”

“Who the hell are you?” Jesse responded by grabbing at his pistol, ready to draw at any second. Genji’s eyebrows furrowed at the response. Did Jesse not recognize him?

“I’m sorry.” Genji stammered to defuse the situation. He couldn’t help feeling upset that the person he bonded with couldn’t even recognize him.

_But it’s Jesse...I’m sure of it._

He turned back toward the train’s still open door. Genji could feel Jesse’s eyes on him. The environment Jesse grew up in justified his reaction to a random person talking to him like they knew each other for years, but it didn’t make sense to Genji. They knew each other through their strange phenomenon of body switching. Was his memory that bad?

Behind him, heavy footsteps followed and he began to panic.

“Wait! What’s your name?” Jesse called out to him. Genji  turned with a quickness as he unclipped the red bracelet he wore, tossing it toward Jesse.

“Genji!” He shouted as the door to the train closed. “My name is Genji!”

Thankfully, the bracelet didn’t get caught in the door. Jesse held onto it, staring at Genji as the train slowly started up and made its way back toward the nearest city.

Perhaps he did remember. In the end, it was too late. Genji had decided then to head straight home. Staying any longer was not only a risk, but Hanzo’s wedding was drawing closer. As much as he didn’t want to go, he felt a sense of duty for his family. It was the least he could do. Jesse can wait.


	10. Twilight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's my longest chapter yet. We're almost done.

When Jesse opened his eyes, he was in a familiar room. He sat up quickly, looking at his hands.

“I’m back in Genji’s body...He’s still alive.” Jesse muttered, holding back tears. Damn this guy for making him want to cry, Jesse thought. No, he wasn’t going to.

There was a knock on the door, and as per usual, Hanzo walked in without Jesse allowing him to. He was in a robe, possibly about to take a shower to get ready for his wedding. Amelie was behind him, but said nothing to avoid irritating Genji. Lucky for her, Jesse was “Genji”, so he didn’t shoo her away. “Genji—”

“Hanzo, you son of a bitch...” Jesse said through his inevitable happy tears. He stumbled out of Genji’s bed to run toward Hanzo to hug him. As much as he missed Genji, he missed Hanzo and Amelie as well. “C’mere, you!”

Hanzo responded by shutting the door in his face, causing him to slam into the door. The door shook from the impact. His nose shot pain throughout his entire face. Jesse fell to the floor, his hands gripping at his injured nose. As he groaned from the pain still resonating, he overheard Hanzo through the door.

“I think he lost his mind. We’re heading out without him.”

There was no time to waste. The sun was still in the sky, so no one was going to head to the shrine just yet. He hurriedly dressed in the suit Genji left hanging at the door. It took precious minutes Jesse didn’t want to lose, but he managed to get everything on and rush out the door.

Sojiro was talking to several coordinators when Jesse approached him. “Hey, pops. Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“Genji.” Sojiro jumped from the sudden confrontation. He said something in Japanese to the coordinators before turning back to face Jesse. “What is it?”

“I’ll cut to the chase.” Jesse said, hands on his hips. “We’re going to have to postpone the wedding. That comet that’s passing by is gonna split and kill everyone.”

Seeing a few heads turn to face him, Jesse assumed they understood what he had just spewed from his mouth. To any sane person, Jesse came off as a lunatic. There was one particular guy who continued to stare with fascinated eyes however.

“What are you talking about?” Sojiro asked with furrowed brows. He sighed loud enough to show his frustration. It’s fair to say his energy was drained from planning the wedding with Hanzo and Amelie.

“Just get ready for the ceremony.”

_What an ordinary response, pops._

Seeing everyone continue their work, rushing frantically to get everything ready, Jesse felt the shame of defeat rising inside. For a split second, he pondered the thought of just running away as Genji, letting everyone else suffer the fate he witnessed. That split second lead to his admittance of his feelings for him.

_Shit._

Jesse shook his head in frustration, trying to think of something else to do. What could possibly convince so many people to not attend a wedding they’ve all worked so hard for? The man Jesse ignored approached him, speaking in Japanese.

“What’s that?” Jesse asked. The man looked familiar, but the name escaped him.

“You said the comet was going to split and land on Earth?” The man asked curiously.

“Yeah, saw it with my own two eyes.”

The man chuckled insidiously, clasping his hands together. Oh right, Jesse remembered. This man was the weird conspiracy theorist Hanzo had briefly spoken about. “Yes, that’s it! It was said that the lake there was also formed by a comet falling from the sky! I knew it! So it was true.”

“Listen, buddy, we just need to prevent the wedding from happening tonight.” Jesse said to stop him from talking. “...What’s your name again, by the way?”

“Did you forget me? It’s me, Takashi! Taka!”

“Right. Taka. I remember now.” Jesse nodded, lying through his teeth. He looked out the window, seeing something distant in the sky. The comet was visible. It was only a matter of time before it split.

There was one more idea he could try. Jesse caught up to Hanzo and Amelie before they had gone into the bathroom. “Hanzo, Amelie, please listen. Tell everyone not to go to the wedding. That comet will split and strike near the lake. Everyone will die.”

Amelie looked more concerned than Hanzo was. She tightened her grip on his arm, but he was unfazed. “You’ve certainly lost your mind. Do you want to meet with the doctor for a psychiatric examination?”

Amelie frowned. “Hanzo—”

“I know you don’t exactly approve of our marriage, but this is a new level of despicable.”

What angered Jesse was the fact that he knew Genji was going to attend despite his dislike for Amelie. He was willing to go for his brother’s sake, yet Hanzo was being rude. He didn’t stop to think perhaps it was his fault. He understood Genji's pain.

Grabbing Hanzo by the collar of his robe, Jesse felt his anger for Genji resonating through his gritted teeth. “You fuckin’—”

“Genji,” Hanzo choked out, “...no, who are you?”

He realized his futile attempt was getting him nowhere. The worst part, Jesse thought, was his accidental damage on Genji’s relationships. From the last time they switched bodies, Genji’s relationships seemed to have improved although only by a small percentage. Because of Jesse’s hotheadedness, everything was heading back to square one.

He finally let Hanzo go, looking down at the ground. What more could he do to ruin Genji’s life? His only hope now was Takashi. Sojiro and Hanzo refused to listen to him. Amelie looked worried, but Jesse could guess that it was toward his well-being and not his claims of a comet becoming a meteorite. The couple walked down the long hallway, heading to separate bathrooms to get ready.

“What was that commotion?” Takashi asked, trotting to his side.

“What could I do for him?” Jesse asked aloud. “Could he have convinced everyone? Is this my fault?”

“What are you saying, Genji?” A woman’s voice asked from behind him. Jesse hadn’t taken notice to another person with them. He turned to see a random woman next to Takashi, who was shrugging at her.

“Just get everyone out of there. They’ll all die if they go!” Jesse practically begged her, shaking her by the shoulders.

Understandably, she was freaked out by his panic. The fear Jesse was emitting from his voice was enough to cause her to begin to fear for her life, yet not enough to convince her. Jesse easily convinced the conspiracy theorist man, but that came with a price. Everyone knew him as such, so hearing him believe it made Jesse’s message to be that of a lunatic’s.

The woman adjusted herself from the sudden contact. “First you travel to America alone, now you’re saying everyone’s going to die?”

Running outside, Jesse looked toward the direction of the shrine. There was a familiar mountain area behind it that he remembered. There was a mysterious magnetism tugging at him from that direction.

_Are you over there? Where my body is?_

“Taka!” Jesse shouted over his shoulder. “Drive me to the shrine, and quickly.”

“As long as Yumiko comes along, I will.”

Takashi was ready, car keys already in hand. The woman, presumably Yumiko, frowned at the suggestion but followed them to a car that wasn’t being used.

During the car ride, Jesse thought about Yumiko’s words. All the puzzle pieces were starting to fit together. Two years ago, Genji was body-swapping already. Meanwhile, Jesse was completely oblivious to it until two years after, in the present. He recollected the fragments of that memory from long ago, when Genji flew all that way just to see him, and he was turned down with the threat of six bullets to his face.

_You came to see me two years ago, and I didn’t recognize you. I’m sorry, pumpkin._

The red bracelet he was given two years ago sat on his nightstand most of the time. Jesse only took notice and wore it when he finally traveled to Japan with his group. Everything was falling into place now, if Jesse could only manage to get everything to happen the way he wanted it to. Stalling the wedding sounded like the perfect plan, seeing as though no one was willing to postpone it.

“We’re here. Go.” Takashi said, glancing at the rear view mirror.

He was in the designated parking area for the reception. Jesse was about to protest; he wanted to tell Takashi that he wanted to head straight to the shrine, but decided against it. He rushed out of the car, running up the hill toward the shrine. “Thanks, Taka! Try to find a way to stall the wedding!”

Running up the hill proved to be difficult. Jesse almost slipped several times, clumsily making his way toward his destination. It felt so far away. The evening was creeping closer, time was running out.

“Genji!” Jesse called out on a whim, praying somehow Genji would be there. If their timelines were to collide somehow, there was a chance.

That was when he heard a faint voice in the distance, echoing strangely.

_“Jesse?”_

Was that Genji? Jesse forced his trembling legs to continue up the hill, trying to find the source of the voice. “Genji! You’re here, right? In my body!”

_“Jesse, where are you?”_

_I can hear him, but...where is he?_

Jesse stopped in his tracks, surveying the area before continuing his run into the shrine’s empty courtyard. Right when he reached the middle of it, he felt a presence beside him. It made him stop and turn around, but nothing was there. There was no way it was nothing. The closer he was to the courtyard, the closer Genji's voice reached him.

_“Jesse...you’re right here, aren’t you?”_

"I'm here."

Reaching out in front of him, Jesse felt _something_ , but nothing proved it to be Genji. It was there out of his reach. His hand fell to his side, ready to accept their fate. The timelines weren’t going to intertwine.

The sun was beginning to set behind the mountains, creating a twilight sky. Jesse turned his head to look at it, wondering what to do next. He wondered if there was anything left to do.

“It’s twilight.”

To his shock, another voice said the same thing in unison. He blinked in surprise, only to find himself on the other side of the setting sun. Jesse realized he was back in his own body. Standing before him was Genji, eyes just as wide as his. There was a silent moment between the two as they took in the sight of one another.

“Genji,” was all Jesse could say.

Genji took a step toward him, still in complete shock. “Jesse. It’s really you.” He looked Jesse up and down, trying to hold himself together. Pink tints were visible on his cheeks, his eyes glossy from tears ready to fall.

“I came to visit. Sure as hell was difficult, since we live in different continents.” Jesse chuckled, ruffling Genji’s hair. He wiped a stray tear away, causing Genji to pull away to wipe it himself with his suit sleeve.

“How? That comet...”

“Oh, I drank your sake. Wasn’t half bad.” Jesse explained, confused when Genji backed away from him. The pink tints were now red and spreading across his entire face. “What’s wrong?”

“You drank that?” Genji’s expression went from embarrassment to anger. “You pervert! That kuchikamizake was part of me. That was supposed to be for my wedding!”

“Listen, pumpkin, we all know you’re not gettin’ married anytime soon.”

“That was still foolish of you!” Genji pouted, trying to look as angry as possible. Jesse scratched the back of his head nervously, chuckling at Genji's embarrassment. Though he was trying to act angry, Genji couldn’t help but notice the bracelet moving around on Jesse’s wrist. He pointed at it, opening his mouth to say something.

“This? Really, why did you find me when I couldn’t recognize you?” Jesse asked first, unclipping the bracelet. He held it out for Genji, letting it fall into his palm. “Here, I’ve been keepin’ it all this time. Surprised I haven’t tossed it since I don’t usually accessorize.”

“If you disposed of it I would find you again and punch you.” Genji warned him, putting the bracelet on his own wrist.

“Hah, I’d like to see you try.” Jesse teased. They shared a laugh, soaking in the moment they could finally share together. As much as he wanted it to continue, Jesse looked toward the comet that was still visible in their conjoined timeline’s sky. Genji’s eyes followed the same path, his laughter silenced by his fear.

“Genji, you still got time. You gotta convince ‘em.” Jesse said with a firm voice. “Meet Taka and Yumiko down by the reception place. They’re already tryin’ to help you. I tried my best.”

His voice felt hesitant, but Genji muttered an “Okay.”

Jesse remembered bringing Trevor’s tablet along with him, which came with a stylus. The stylus doubled as a pen, convenient for him. He pulled it out, grabbing one of Genji’s hands to write on it.

“Here.” He said as he finished writing. He placed the pen in Genji’s hand, closing his fingers onto it. “Let’s write our names on each other so we don’t forget when we wake up.”

With a nod, Genji smiled, a cute smile Jesse was finally able to see. He watched him slowly brush his thumb on his curled fingers, opening up his palm. Genji merely got the pen’s point on Jesse’s palm when the pen fell to the ground.

Genji was nowhere in sight.

It took Jesse a moment to realize what had happened. Looking around him, the shrine was in disarray. He was back in his own timeline.

“Genji? Genji, ya there?” He called out.

No voice came back.

The mark Genji managed to make on his palm was a simple curved line. Despite him not being there anymore, Jesse spoke as if Genji could hear him. There was a small chance, just like when he called out before.

“I wanted to tell you that wherever you are in the world, I’ll search for you.” Jesse said into the wind. “Your name is Genji. It’s fine, I’ll remember.”

Picking the stylus pen up from the floor, Jesse rushed to write down Genji’s name. The pen touched the curved line that was already in place, but his hand froze.

_Who...are you?_

His hand wanted to move, to create lines that formed the name of the person most precious to him. But nothing came to mind.

_Why am I here? Why did I come all this way?_

His thoughts came out of his mouth as he frustratingly wracked his brain around for answers.

“I came to see him. I wanted to save him!” Jesse shouted toward the night sky. “It was someone I shouldn’t forget. Who was it?”

Out of frustration, tears blurred his vision.

“What the hell’s your name?!”


	11. Sparkle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taka is a hot mess but so is Genji. Two chapters in one day. [Title is named after the song that played during this scene in the movie.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWDni7fEG4c) Doesn't really describe anything that happens in this update.
> 
> There will be an extra bit in the last update, shedding light on what Genji and Amelie meant in this chapter.

_Jesse. Jesse. Your name is Jesse. Don’t worry, I’ll remember you._

Time was running out. Genji ran down the hill, spotting the car Takashi brought. It was a dangerous run, going downhill on a bumpy pathway. Even so, there was no time for crying over the abrupt ending of their meeting or to think about the possibility of getting hurt as he made his way to the reception area.

_I can't forget you. I can't forget someone precious to me._

“Taka! Yumiko!” Genji called out. Only Yumiko stood by the car, Takashi nowhere to be found. A few shrine maidens were working on last minute performance practice, preparing for the reception. “Where’s Taka?”

“He instructed me to wait here for your return. I think he ran off to save us...whatever that meant.” She pointed up to the power lines, indicating that Takashi went in that direction.

What exactly was he planning? The tightness in his stomach twisted further when Genji heard a loud boom in that direction, smoke floating up toward the sky. What the hell was he planning? The lights to the shrine immediately went out, surprising the maidens. They were frantic amongst each other, looking back and forth from the shrine to the power lines. Genji could see silhouettes at the top of the hill near the shrine, indicating the presence of his family. He still had to convince them to run.

Even though the power lines that fell were surrounded by dirt and rocks, there was still a risk of a forest fire. Genji was going to have to lecture Takashi about that later. “Please evacuate! Forget the wedding, just go!”

The maidens and coordinators were standing in the same spot in the reception area, confused. It frustrated Genji that even with potential danger, they still stuck around. Of course, there was no lighting whatsoever thanks to Takashi.

“What are you waiting for? Leave now.” Genji growled, his anger scaring the wedding attendees away. Their confusion took up precious time, time he barely had. It was like herding confused sheep, telling them repeatedly to go toward the road uphill.

Takashi was running down the hill now, a huge smug grin on his face. Oh how much Genji wanted to punch it in. “What did you do, Taka?”

“I made sure the shrine didn’t have any electricity. They can’t have a wedding like that.” Takashi stated with a proud voice.

“That’ll just make them come down here!” Genji cried in frustration. “And the safe zone is at the dirt road that leads up to the shrine. You didn’t have to blow up the power lines!”

Yumiko and Takashi began to talk, Genji spacing from their conversation. He looked around at the coordinators who were in contact with the coordinators at the shrine. Listening in on them, they were planning on heading down to the reception. All it took was one maiden to trip and fall for everyone to start panicking in the dark. The three had to act fast.

“I don’t even know what’s going on!” Yumiko confessed. “Genji, what is all of this for?”

The trio stayed quiet, Takashi and Yumiko waiting for Genji to respond. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the ground. His mind had wandered back to Jesse.

“I forgot his name...” Genji murmured, his eyes tearing up from his frustration. Takashi grimaced in annoyance.

“What the hell are you talking about? We can’t stop hundreds of people. Go convince your family.” Takashi pushed Genji forward. He stumbled, but caught himself and began to run. Forcing himself to push Jesse to the back of his mind, Genji made his way toward his family.

“Yumiko, Taka, please make sure everyone goes up that hill past the shrine. It’s safer in that area. That’s an order.” Genji said, pointing to the dirt road that led back to the city. He began his run up the hill.

His mind wandered back to Jesse, his brain focusing on remembering his name. What was his name? Who was he? Why can’t Genji remember? The unevenness of the path in front of him took most of his energy. The shrine looked so far away. Determination to save everyone pushed him forward, moving his trembling legs higher up the hill. His eyes were still adjusting to the darkness, the terrain looking more dangerous than it was.

Genji’s eyes refocused upward toward the comet, a small piece splitting from the main body. A loud gasp mixed in with his heavy panting.

_It really split. Damn it._

While his eyes were fixated on the comet, Genji’s foot got caught on an uneven rock sticking out of the dirt. He stumbled, trying to catch himself, but his other foot slipped on a loose rock. His ankle gave in, causing him to fall back. He stumbled down the hill, his body in immense pain with each impact. A boulder nestled in the dirt of the hill stopped Genji’s tumble. Turning on his side, he curled up in himself to manage the pain shooting throughout his entire body.

Genji’s ankle burned with pain, but he was sure it wasn’t broken. The scrapes on his body began to sting as dust floated around him. He stayed on the ground, needing to take a breather and gather himself. Letting his body get used to the stinging and burning pain, he thought back to the meeting he had with Jesse. Who was he? Did it even happen? Was it all just a dream?

_“Let’s write our names on each other so we don’t forget when we wake up.”_

The sentence resonated in his mind like a distant memory. Whatever was left of his memory from that time was doing its damnedest to stay in his brain for a moment longer. He uncurled his scraped fingers, revealing the writing.

A simple “I love you” was the only thing written in his palm. Fighting back more tears, Genji’s eyes widened at the message. He cherished the sloppy handwriting as much as he cherished Jesse, wherever he may be in the world.

“Idiot...” Genji stammered, wiping his eyes as he struggled to stand up. “I can’t remember your name like this.”

He balled his hand into a fist, hoping that the only memory he had of Jesse stayed within. He wanted Jesse's name to be there more than anything, but the message was enough to push him forward. With the last of his strength, Genji rushed back up the hill to prevent his family from the inevitable meteorite. There were bright lights shining ahead, possibly flashlights that their bodyguards managed to get their hands on. Sure enough, Sojiro was leading the way down the hill when he saw Genji running up to them.

Sojiro stopped everyone in their tracks, his patience clearly gone. “Genji.”

“Father, please listen to me. Just once more is all I ask.” Genji begged, bowing his head. It was a sign of respect, of trying to get on his father’s good side when he was angry.

"What was that explosion?"

Hanzo approached his family, arms crossed impatiently. Before he could get a word out of his mouth, Genji spoke up.

Ignoring Hanzo's question, Genji pressed his hands together in front of his chest. “I want you to get married, Hanzo. I’m sorry for acting so coldly to Amelie. I understand now. This is why I’m stopping you. Please, just wait a little longer.”

Amelie, all gods bless her, walked up to Genji much to Hanzo’s surprise. She placed a hand on his shoulder. Genji felt his hatred for her dissolve when she smiled genuinely at him. No matter how cold he was to her, she forgave him for it and still tried her best to befriend him. Now, Genji had the chance to return the favor.

“We will wait, then. We have many more days ahead of us, Hanzo. We can wait.” Amelie said, shocking the three Shimadas. There was nothing much for Amelie to gain from believing Genji, by postponing her own wedding because he said so. But Genji was elated she was willing to do what he said. Hanzo’s wide eyes finally rolled, looking up at the comet.

“Amelie, thank you.” Genji said, returning her smile.

She let her hand fall to her side. "I understand now too."

Above everyone, the comet’s second half traveled another path. It was but a small sparkle in the sky, growing in size as it neared the Earth. It happened quickly, slamming near the edge of the lake, sending debris in all directions. Large debris struck the front of the shrine, destroying the courtyard and half of the building. All that remained were remnants of a wedding that never happened.


	12. Moving Forward

Eight years passed since Jesse found himself in the ruins of an old Japanese shrine with no recollection of how he got there. Since that strange event, Jesse had been possessed by a longing for something, or someone. His interest in staying with Deadlock dissolved with each passing year, but he had nowhere else to go. And so he stayed, doing the bare minimum that was expected of him.

He had been near the city with Winona and Trevor, waiting for a train to take them home. People walked by in the background, something Jesse never paid much attention to. He stared into the crowd, allowing time to pass with them. It was only visible for a split second— a black head of hair amongst the crowd— that Jesse’s mind alerted him about. He watched as the person disappeared into the crowd, and the longing he had felt for so long merely lingered. Because he was sure he didn’t know that person, Jesse decided against running to find them.

“Jesse? What’s wrong?” Winona had asked. He didn’t answer her.

Five more years passed by. The sadness that came with the longing led Jesse to turn to alcohol to ease the pain. He drank plenty of times before. There was never a reason aside from the calmness he felt as he started getting tipsy. It was frustrating to have a reason now.

An old napkin drawing Jesse refused to throw away was in his pocket. He pulled it out one night at a bar, his mind half gone from all the whiskey in his system. The napkin was close to being in tatters, but Jesse did his best to keep it from being ruined. Something about the napkin stabbed at his heart, something made it a treasure he would never get rid of. Everyone claimed he drew it, that they saw him do it. He had no recollection if ever drawing anything in his life aside from immature doodles of dicks during his younger days. Stuffing the napkin back into his pocket neatly, Jesse chugged down another drink.

Nina was fed up with his moping around and asked him to accompany her to a club a week later. Just like at the bar, Jesse stayed on the sidelines, drinking whatever he could get his hands on. Uncomfortably close in front of him, a couple was conversing. The man looked out of place, out of his element, while the tall, beautiful woman fit nicely with the club.

“Why did I let you talk me into this?” The man had an accent.

The woman had an entirely different accent as she spoke back. “We should support him during this time. Remember when we were like this?”

“We were not this reckless.”

“You came to get me all the way from France. He’s probably trying to find someone, just like you did so long ago.” The woman retorted, taking a sip of her colorful drink.

“It’s disappointing he was fated to be with someone who would end up in such a place.” The man scoffed loudly.

“We would have been dead if it weren’t for him. Let’s support him now, Hanzo.”

The man walked away, presumably to find the person they were talking about. The woman finished her drink before following him into the crowd he got lost in. Jesse stared at them in the crowd until they were out of sight. Their presence felt familiar. The name the woman called the man by felt familiar.

As he was fading in and out of blackout drunkenness, another man made his way through the crowd in the same path, his back to Jesse. His eyes widened to better take in the scene in front of him, but by the time his eyes adjusted, the man was gone.

Jesse followed the path the man took, squeezing through hot bodies grinding against each other. Just like that, the longing he had felt for years disappeared with the three people. Nostalgia hit him hard, almost as hard as the heavy drinking that left him rocking back and forth, trying to stay upright. The same thing happened years back, where the feeling peaked, only to disappear and be replaced by a bittersweet nostalgia.

“Whatever is bothering you, Jesse, you’re going to have to let that go eventually.” Nina had said to his sleeping figure as she carried him out of the club. Jesse couldn’t remember much about that night.

The feeling hadn’t come back since. Jesse attempted to better his life, to go out more and enjoy time with his friends. The fragmented memories he had about his past experiences with the mysterious feeling was almost forgotten. His longtime friends spent the entire day together to celebrate Nina’s new chapter in her life. She was moving to another state, though still keeping her ties with Deadlock. Jesse felt his life went back to normal, or as normal as it had been before his trip to Japan.

Winona and Trevor went off to buy more snacks for their trip home, leaving Jesse stuck with Nina as she waited for her train. Somehow, they got on the topic of their trip to Japan, where they successfully smuggled highly advanced weapons Jesse had never seen before. Apparently it had made Deadlock a good fortune. For Jesse, the real intent of that trip was of least importance. Nina helped him remember his detour trip to an old shrine that was destroyed by a stray comet.

The details were a blur, and Jesse had no excuse or reason as to why he even took the detour in the first place. Nina explained that there was a wedding that was supposed to be held there on the day the comet flew by, but thankfully no one was within the proximity of the damage. Yet Jesse felt a jolt of pain in his heart when he remembered the news from so many years ago.

“My train is here. I should get going. Don’t stir up too much trouble while I’m gone.” Nina teased him.

“No promises.” Jesse answered, earning him a playful punch to the arm. “You take care now, Nina.”

“Tell Winona and Trevor I have to go and I’ll visit again soon. I hope you find your happiness too, Jesse.” Nina waved at him, her wedding band shining in the sun. He watched her walk into her train, waving goodbye one last time before it left the station.

His friends finally made it back, minutes before their train arrived. Winona nagged Jesse about allowing Nina to leave without a proper goodbye, but he knew he couldn’t have stopped her even if he wanted to. Trevor managed to get her to calm down as they boarded their train and took their seats right near the doors. Jesse sat near the window, like he always did. Thanks to his talk with Nina, he felt it again— the feeling that possessed him for so long. His friends knew immediately he was in “one of those moods” so they let him be, chatting amongst themselves.

On the next track, another train pulled up. Jesse’s vision blurred as he spaced out, thinking about Nina’s words. He felt eyes staring at him. At first, he assumed it was some form of law enforcement, looking for Deadlock members to arrest. But he turned his head to stare back anyway, and the longing feeling he had overloaded his senses.

There on the train next to his— staring at him with a sad yet surprised look— was a man with jet black hair, a hand against the window. Jesse’s posture tensed up as he sat upright, his eyes just as wide as the other man’s. Before either of them could move, their trains began to move in opposite directions of each other. Both men stared at each other until they were completely out of sight, out of reach.

_This whole time, this feeling I had...I was always searching for someone. I understand it now._

“Jesse! Jesse, where the hell are you going?” Winona shouted after him, though she did not follow. The train had stopped at the next station. Jesse bolted out of the train, running back to where he came from.

_Who are you?_

The train the other man was on should have stopped at the next station on the other side of the town. Jesse’s main problem now was wondering if that man would run to find him too. With the way they stared at each other, Jesse hoped he would.

_Jesse, don’t you remember me?_

Pieces of lost memories came back slowly as Jesse weaved around people, trying to find his way through the town. He had no clue where to go, but heading in the direction of the next station was a good start.

By the time Jesse almost gave up, he made it to an open area. He turned left and came to an immediate stop when he saw the other man on top of a set of stairs. They stared at each other again for a long moment before Jesse calmed himself down and walked nonchalantly toward the stairs. His eyes were fixated at the ground in front of him as he made his way up.

He could hear the other man walking down the stairs shortly after. Something stopped him from reaching out. The longing came back as they passed each other without a word. He could’ve sworn the other man gasped, but he wasn’t too sure.

Making his way to the top of the stairs, Jesse mustered up the courage to turn around. The man was at the bottom of the steps when he spoke up. “Hey!”

The other man stopped walking, but didn’t turn around.

“Sorry, haven’t we met?” Jesse asked loudly.

He finally turned around, looking up at Jesse with teary eyes. The sight of it made Jesse want to tear up, but he held it back. The man let out a sigh of relief as he smiled a familiar smile.

“I thought the same.” He answered.

They went back toward the way they came, now meeting at the middle of the stairs. When Jesse opened his mouth to speak, he saw the other man do the same.

“Can I ask you your name?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! Thanks for wading through painful writing if you made it this far. I really love the story of the movie, and I really love McGenji, so I wanted this to happen. If you still haven't watched the movie, please do! It's a lot better in movie form than written.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who supported me with kudos and comments! =) I hope to write more McGenji in the future (in fact, I already have another story in mind). If you guys have a [twitter](https://twitter.com/ChiakiArashiP), feel free to share it with me as I am most active there when I'm not writing. I need to follow more mcgenji fans too haha.


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